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It’s Only New OnceRemember when your carpet was brand new? You vowed you would take your shoes off when you came into the house and vacuum twice a week. No eating in the living room! If anything spilled, you cleaned it up immediately. While these are great promises to make to yourself, even the best kept carpet needs to be cleaned regularly. And, if you are willing to admit that you have perhaps slacked off on these promises, your carpet might need to be cleaned more than you realize. In addition, there are other things you can do to keep your carpets looking great.

Your Carpet can “Look” New AgainMany people get their carpets cleaned and suddenly they see their carpet through new eyes, saying, “My carpets look like new!” It’s true, cleaning your carpets can make them look so much better that it almost feels like you have new carpet all over again. But, like everything else, carpet ages.

Color is usually the most important factor in how a carpet looks. As long as the color looks vibrant and there are no major spots or stains, most of us are quite happy with the look of our carpet.

But why does the color start to look tired after a few years even after our best efforts at cleaning? Why can’t we make it look new again? Isn’t that dull, lifeless appearance in the traffic areas just dirt? No doubt, dirt is a contributing factor, but there are three other factors that cause carpet to look old: abrasion, crushing and pile distortion.

Abrasion – Dirt is loose particulate soil tracked in from outside, including mud, pollution, pollen and gritty minerals that scratch and dull the surface of carpet fibers. This abrasion changes the way light reflects off of the scratched fibers so colors are muted. We call this permanent condition loss of luster. This is the primary reason that colors lose their vibrancy. Imagine a car that is scratched with sandpaper. No amount of cleaning can bring back the luster.

Pile crush – Areas that are subject to a lot of foot traffic will crush down and lose some pile height. The carpet loses its soft, fluffy appearance and feel. How severely depends on the fiber type, yarn density, pile depth and quality of carpet pad.

In This IssueIt’s Only New OncePreventing Falls Among SeniorsHow to Clean Your OvenTop Choking HazardsRecipe: Caramel Apple Pork ChopsGood Clean Funnies and Quick Tips

FROM ALL OF US AT PROFESSIONAL

CARPET SYSTEMS OF NORTH DENVER

HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISENOVEMBER 2016 Published exclusively for clients of Professional Carpet Systems

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Pile distortion – When pile yarns lose their twist or the yarns are aligned in different directions, high traffic areas can appear dull and dingy. Once the carpet pile has become distorted it cannot be corrected. Some carpets are more prone to this type of appearance change than others.

Keeping Your Carpets Looking New LongerHere are a few tips you can use to keep your carpet looking newer longer:

• Keep soils out of the home as much as possible. Use doormats at all entrances and take off your shoes when coming in from outside.

• Regular vacuuming is the best thing you can do to reduce damage caused by gritty dirt.

• In areas where there is a lot of traffic, you can reduce wear by rearranging furnishings to redirect traffic.

• Use carpet runners to limit crushing and pile distortion.

• Regular cleaning before your carpet looks dirty is an important line of defense. Once soils have built up to the point of being obvious the damage is already done.

• Applying a professional carpet protector after every cleaning is another great way to assure your carpet stays beautiful longer.

Remember, carpet is only new once but with care you can keep it looking good for years to come.

Preventing Falls Among SeniorsIt does not have to be inevitable that as you grow older, you will suffer from a debilitating fall. There are several steps you can take to help prevent falls.

First, take time to make your home safer. Remove items you might trip over on stairs and in walkways. Throw rugs should be secured with double-sided tape to keep them from slipping, and stairways and bathtubs should have handrails installed. You should also wear shoes that give good support and have thin non-slip soles. Avoid wearing slippers in your home.

Your health status can also affect your chances of falling. With your health care provider’s review, you may wish to begin a regular exercise program. It can improve your balance and coordination and make you stronger. You should also have your vision checked to ensure that you do not have a condition such as glaucoma or cataracts

that limits your vision. If you wear prescription eyewear, be sure that your glasses are the correct strength.

Finally, discuss with your doctor the medications you are taking, including non-prescription medication. Some medicines, or combinations of certain drugs, can make you drowsy or light-headed, which can lead to a fall.

Caramel Apple Pork ChopsIngredients:

• 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil• 2 tablespoons brown sugar• salt and pepper to taste• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter• 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and

sliced• 3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.

3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.

4. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

recipe courtesy allrecipes.com 303.403.1900 (main) or 303.548.5946 (emergency)

How to Clean Your OvenNothing is worse on Thanksgiving than opening up your oven door to place your turkey in the oven and seeing old baked-on spills and dirty oven walls. Head off this disaster by giving your oven a good cleaning before the big day. To help you with this project, here are some tips to make it easy.

All OvensUse rubber gloves when cleaning your oven. Remove the racks and soak them in hot soapy water. A great place to do this is in your bathtub, but be sure to line it first with towels to prevent scratching of the tub surface. Adding a handful of dishwasher powder to the soaking water helps loosen all the burned-on bits.

Self-Cleaning OvensIf your oven is a self-cleaning oven, follow the directions for cleaning your oven. Generally, you will simply need to set your oven to the clean cycle, which locks the door. The cleaning cycle usually takes several hours. Then when the oven has cooled again, use a sponge or washcloth to wipe up the

remaining residue. Do not use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven.

Non-Self-Cleaning OvensA simple trick to get spills and stains to come up easily is to place 1/2 cup of ammonia into a small glass bowl. Place the bowl in a cool oven, close the oven door, and leave the bowl in the oven overnight to loosen baked-on spills. Alternatively, you can use oven cleaner, following the directions on the bottle. Then use a sponge or washcloth and a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar to 1/2 cup hot water. Rub away any spills or greasy stains. Dry with a soft cloth.

Top Choking HazardsEvery year, more than 250 children in the United States ages four and under choke to death on common foods and household objects. According to the American Red Cross, the top culprits include the following:

• Popcorn• Grapes• Nuts• Hard candies• Deflated balloon pieces• Coins, pins, buttons, and other

small items• Small toys and toy parts• Small, circular pieces of hot dogs• Raw vegetable, like carrots, that

are cut into circles rather than strips

To protect your child, be sure to monitor meal and snack time. Scan your home daily for small hazardous items and remove them from reach promptly. Check toys for small, removable or broken parts and do not leave your child unattended in unfamiliar places.

Good Clean FunniesBarking InfractionA police officer was visiting a school to give a talk on safety to the children. As he parked in front of the school, a girl walked by his van and noticed that he had a K-9 partner, a large German Shepherd, in the back. The dog started barking, so the little girl stopped and stared at him. She asked the police officer, “Is that a dog you got back there?”“Why, yes,” the officer replied. “It sure is!”The little girl looked puzzled and then asked, “What’d he do?”

Quick TipsFood TipThis Thanksgiving, if you run into trouble when cooking your turkey, know that help is as close as your phone. The folks answering the phones at the Butterball Turkey-Talk Line are experts in everything turkey-related. You can ask about thawing, cooking, carving, and presenting your turkey. They also have information on food safety. The tip line at 800-288-8372 operates year-round as an automated service, but in November and December, you can talk to a real-live turkey expert.

Home TipResearchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that people who recorded the size of each meal they ate using notations such as “small,” “medium,” “large,” and “extra-large” were just as likely to lose weight as those who tracked specific food, including calories, protein, and fat.

The Good Life

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Win a $25 Restaurant Gift Card!Read this edition of Healthy, Wealthy & Wise to find the answer to the following trivia question:

The 3 primary reasons a carpet looks old are:a. abrasion, crushing and pile distortionb. fading, excessive vacuuming and trafficc. spots, stains and excessive weard. liver spots, crow’s feet and hair loss Once you’ve found the correct answer, email it to anna@pcssuperior.com. At the end of the month, we will draw from the correct answers and someone will win a $25 restaurant gift card!Contest Expires 11/30/2016.

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Need help with your wood floors and not sure where to turn? Professional Carpet Systems has your answer!We are now fully trained and ready to offer residential wood floor deep cleaning and a rejuvenation recoat service. Minimal cure times and long lasting results. Bring back that clean floor shine that your home has been missing.